Ava Sims
On Oct. 13, the Aragon varsity football team (6-1 overall, 3-0 Peninsula Athletic League) won with a comeback 36-20 against Milpitas (4-3 overall, 1-2 PAL) at home. Senior running back and outside linebacker Ivan Nisa, as well as the solid defense turned the tide of the game.
Head coach Steve Sell expected to struggle against Milpitas.
“Milpitas is tough, they’ve got a long history of playing good football,” Sell said. “They’re a dangerous team. They’ve got a similar record like ours 4-2, and they’ve got a really athletic quarterback, a good wide receiver, a good back and so they’re gonna be a handful.”
As expected, the Dons had a tough start with Milpitas scoring a touchdown at the end of the first quarter 7-0.
The second quarter opened with a great start, a 43-yard touchdown pass by senior quarterback Sean Hickey right into the hands of junior wide receiver and cornerback Josh Jacobs to tie the game.
Within two minutes, Milpitas answered with a long touchdown pass, retaking the lead 14-7.
Despite being behind, Nisa kept on carrying the ball, and Jacobs later made a tough mid-air catch with two Milpitas players colliding into him. Finally, the Dons were able to score a touchdown, and a penalty was called on Milpitas. The Dons decided on a two-point conversion, in which senior fullback Amaziah Tanielu scored with an inside zone drive (rush), giving the Dons their first lead in the game 15-14.
However, the Dons excitement did not last for long. With only 44 seconds left in the second quarter, Milpitas took excellent field position, scoring a touchdown from the 30 yard line. Aragon fell 15-20 going into halftime.
Entering the second half of the game, Aragon was unable to break through in the run game. However, the Dons persistent attempts caught Milpitas’s defense off guard. With Hickey scoring on a run with two minutes left in the third quarter, the Dons retook the lead 22-20.
Milpitas is tough, they’ve got a long history of playing good football. They’re a dangerous team.”
“We’ve been getting really good play out of Ivan Nisa and Sean Hickey,” Sell said. “Sean is playing a very good quarterback position. Very much a dual threat … run the ball, throw the ball.”
Their momentum continued to build in the fourth quarter, with junior wide receiver and defensive back Conor Reidy catching a 23-yard pass at the edge of the sideline.
The Dons’ defense forced a turnover at the 23 yard line directly led to another rushing touchdown by Nisa, separating the gap to 29-20 with seven minutes left in the game.
As Milpitas started to panic, they continuously forced their passes, leading to minimal advancements. At last, the Dons finished them off 36-20 with another touchdown by Nisa.
Although huge plays from the key players like Nisa and Hickey certainly contributed, small improvements also had great contributions.
“We really cut down on our penalties … [which] I was hoping for.”
“I [hoped] that we could play a game that we could keep from making mistakes,” said assistant coach Joseph Olive. “Simple mistakes that we’ve done in the past, and they actually preceded that, like on offense, jumping off sides. [Tonight,] we really cut down on our penalties … [which] I was hoping for.”
After a huge comeback, the Dons were already thinking about their upcoming matchups immediately after the match.
“Right now what is going through my head is Capuchino,” said senior guard Fotumai’afe Taufa. “They’re undefeated.”
Aragon is currently tied with Capuchino for first place, with a crucial game against Capuchino on Oct. 26.
Their next game is Oct. 19th at 7 p.m. away against Terra Nova.
